Charlie Brown had a difficult job to do on the night. It was stiflingly hot inside the pub and only a tight, energetic performance was going hold the audiences attention and stop them going outside to cool down. However, in my opinion, they achieved this with apparent ease. Charlie Brown impressed from the moment they sprang into action and their youthful exuberance was a joy to see. As they crept into their opening number ‘Not About Trouser’ the energy levels of the pub immediately began to rise. The feeling of the music was fresh and original and the bands fusion of rock and jazz was well received and appreciated by the somewhat over-heating audience.  |
In the spotlight from the outset was vocalist and pianist Becky Wilkie. It was clear that her voice had a very wide range and she demonstrated this by alternating her vocals from soothing melodies to dynamic, tuneful screams at a moments notice. Her commanding piano playing came across as the driving force behind the band but the full, rocky elements of the bands’ sound were alternately a result of the rhythm sections influence. Jo Surzyn on bass guitar displayed a number of different musical influences seemingly ranging from funk, jazz and rock. Her quirky bass lines filled the room but unfortunately she did spend a lot of the gig hiding behind her hair which made it very difficult to get a decent photograph of her! I'm sure that many of the audience would liked to have seen her face a little more than they did! Joel Kurta delivered the percussion onslaught. He was clearly rock influenced but his style was delicate and precise. He showed an intense concentration as he neatly and efficiently slammed each drum and cymbal with varying force, never missing a beat. Together the band formed a sound that was altogether refreshing and with superb songs like ending number ‘Hooray For Snakes’ they had me hooked! Overall, this band is an astonishing new talent. Their songs demonstrate maturity beyond each member’s years regardless of the purely teen driven song lyrics. Their performance is slightly static and their stage presence could benefit from a little more character display but these are all things that come with time and experience. I have no doubt that this band will evolve into a powerful, local musical presence and will impact heavily onto the larger musical world. I will certainly be watching Charlie Brown’s career with the utmost of interest. | 
